Island



(No Model.)

H. ROSS. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

21 wwf. w an.v ww m Tm w mv d M. PHOTOLITMO. WASHIN IINTTED STATESPATENT OEETCE,

HIRAM ROSS, OE PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 561,284, dated .Tune 2,1896.

Application filed February 17, 1896. Serial No. 579,640. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IIIRAM Ross, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricSwitches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification. c

My invention relates to improvements in electric switches; and itconsists, essentially, in the combination of a pivotally-mountedcurrent-conducting arm or lever member arranged to swing into and out ofelectrical coutact with one or more energized contact-plates and anon-conducting handle or operating member secured to said arm, the sidesof the non-conducting member being arranged to inclose the saidconductors, thereby forminga permanent insulating protector or guard. Italso consists in the novel construction of the lower or pivot end of thelever when the conducting-blade of the latteris composed of two parts,as in a separable or snap-switch lever, all asfwill be more fullyhereinafter set forth and claimed.

In a patent of the United States granted to me October 29, 1895, No.548,819, is shown and described an electric switch combining certainnovel features. In that device the swinging portion consisted of a pairof laterally-separated quadrant-shaped levers, each provided with a tieformed of non-conducting material and both united by a handle, throughwhich the levers were capable of being operated simultaneously.

The obj ect I have in view in the present invention is to provide theswinging levers of electric switches of the single-arm type with meanswhereby they may be operated more efficiently and withcomparativelylittle or no danger to the persons manipulating them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of apivotally-mounted separable sin gle-lever electric switch embodying`taken on line o o of Fig. 1.

my present improvement, the position of the parts indicating a closedcircuit. Eig. 2 is a similar view, the lever being swung out ofengagement with the conducting or contact plates, the circuit then beingbroken. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line as of Fig. l. Fig.#l is a similar section, enlarged, Fig. 5 is a side elevation showingthe lower portion of onehalf of the separable arm or contact-blade. Fig.G shows the corresponding portion of the other half of the l'ever. Fig.7 is a perspective view of a spring employed for keeping the said twoparts of the blade normally closed. Fig. S is a partial side viewcorresponding with Fig. G, showing a non-separable conducting arm orblade; and Eig. 9 is a cross-section taken on line t 'u of Fig. l.

In the drawings, A indicates the improved switch-lever as a whole. Iwould statehere that in electric switches of this type the blades orconducting portions of the swinging levers are sometimes made in twoparts or separable, in order to lessen the degree or extent. of flashingwhen the lever is being withdrawn from the contact-plates, such beingtermed snapswitches. Sometimes the blades or arms are single, the areaor cross-section of the latter in such case being substantially the sameas that of the two parts comprising the separable blade. In the drawingsI have shown a separable form of blade. I may further add that thelevers are usually arranged to swing on pivots secured to non-conductingbases or switchboards. B indicates a portion of such a base.

At or near the lower edge of the board B is secured a stand or bracketp, having laterallyseparated ears c, through which passes the pivot pinor bolt d, and forming a fulcrum for the lever. The stand 23 has a stemp extending through the base B, a nut n, screwed snugly against the backof the base, holding the stand in position.

As drawn, the base B is further provided with a pair ofcurrent-conducting contactplates m m, communicating with the poles ofthe electric circuit. These plates are secured to the 'front side of thebase and are separated from one another vertically a suitable distanceand are practically in alinement with the stand p. Each plate 'm has ashank m passing through the base B and is held in place bya nut n. Theouter end of the shank may be extended so as to carry one of the polesor main conductors of the circuit. rlhe positive pole s is representedas soldered or secured to the ripper plate m, the other or negative polebeing similarly secured to the lower plate, or vice versa. The platesare also provided with slightly-yielding laterallyseparated jaws orsides, substantially as usual, capable of frictionally engaging thelateral sides of the blade.

The switch-lever proper, A, is, as drawn, provided with acurrent-conducting blade c, capable of being swung into and out ofengagement with the said jaws of the plates m. The lower end of theblade is enlarged and loosely mounted on the pivot-pin CZ and locatedbetween the ears c c of the stand. In switch-levers hitherto made theblad es thereof have in some cases been separable and provided at thepivot end with loose washers, the whole being loosely mounted on the pin(l. In the drawings my present device is represented as having aseparable or two-part blade provided with washers or bosses integraltherewith-that is to say, each of the two parts a d', comprising theconducting-blade, has a hub or washer-like projection, the main part chaving a boss c4 on its front side, a similar boss a2 being integralwith the reverse side of the part ad (see Figs. 5 and 0)-thc arrangementbeing such that when mounted in the stand p the several parts are incontact with one another, the parts c a being in a plane common to both.The adjacent vertical edges of the lower ends of said parts c a areoppesitely beveled, as at c3. The center portion is also cut away at c5to form a chamber or space to receive the head of a U -shaped spring f,the downward-extending sides j" of the latter being in yielding contactwith said beveled edges a3. By means of this construction andarrangement the main part c of the blade may be Iirst partly or whollywithd rawn from the jaws of the contact-plates m, independently of thepart a', until the said sides 5o f of the spring are brought welltogether,

or conducting part of the lever I provide it with a combined guard andhandle or operating member b, the same being made of suitablenon-conducting or insulating material,

as vulcanite, wood, &c.

The sides b, as well as the upper end b2 of the said member b, areextended so as to practically inclose the blade parts a c and alsoinclosing the corresponding sides of the contact-plates m. (See Fig. I.)The part 1J is permanently secured to the blade c by suitable bolts orrivets 7s, the heads or outer ends being covered or protected withbuttons or caps t', made of non-conducting material. (See Fig.

I have represented the curved arm part b3 of the guard Z) as having ahandle 7L secured thereto, the same being so arranged that it forms amore convenient handle device by which the lever may be operated thanthe curved arm b3 alone would afford. (See also Fig. 9.

It is Obvious that the pivot-bracket p may be energized, if made ofsuitable conducting material, as brass, and used as one of the poles ofthe circuit in lieu of the lower contact-plate. In such case, however,it is obvious that the blade portion of the lever is correspondinglyenergized at all times.

In a switch having a non-separable blade the latter may be constructedas indicated in Fig. 8, wherein the current-conclucting portion a isprovided with integral center hubs er bosses a, adapted to be mounted onthe pin d of the pivot-bracket p, the sides b of the non-conductingprotector b extending across the blade, as shown.

By means of my improvement the switchlever may be readily manipulated atall times with comparatively little or no risk whatever to the person incharge.

I claim as my invention- I. In an electric switch, the combination, withthe switchboard and a pair of independent contact-plates secured theretoand connected with the poles of an electric circuit, of acurrelit-conducting arm or blade capable of being swung into and out ofengagement with said contact-plates, as in closing and opening thecircuit, and a non-conducting member, as l), secured to the blade havinglaterally-separated sides b extending across the blade so as to form aguard or protector, substantially as hereinbefore described and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The switch-lever, substantially as hereinbefore described, the sameconsisting of the i'lat blade or conducting portion arranged to bepivotally secured to any suitable base or holder, a non-conducting guard'member secured to and extending longitudinally of said blade, saidguard member having insulating sides or cheeks, as D', extending acrossand practically concealing the working faces of the blade, and a handlesecured to or integral with said guard member by means of which thelever may be manipulated.

3. In an electric switch, the combination, with a suitably-mountedpivot-stand and one or more contact-plates connected with the IOO IIO

poles of on electric circuit, of a swinging switch-lever having ztseparable blade, as a a', mounted in said stand, adapted to be energizedby Contact with said plates, md having the center or pivot portion ofthe blades cut away, as :tt a3, co5, and a spring f f mounted iii thesaid eut-away portion of the blades, so as to keep the ad j acont facesof the two parts of the blade in normal Contact, substantially asdescribed. 1o

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

HIRAM ROSS. Titnesses GEO. II. REMINGTON, REMINGTON SHERMAN.

